Which of the following is NOT a required field for creating a new custom index?

Creating a new custom index in Splunk involves several essential fields that dictate how data is managed and retained. The index name is crucial as it uniquely identifies the index within the Splunk environment. Retention settings determine how long data will be stored before being deleted, directly impacting data management and compliance. The max raw data size specifies the maximum size of data that can be stored in the index, thereby controlling storage use.

In contrast, the cold path is not a required field when initially creating a custom index. While it plays a role in defining where cold data is stored (data that has not been accessed for a while), it is not mandatory to specify it at the time of creation. The default settings can be used, and adjustments can be made later when necessary. This flexibility allows administrators to create an index without needing to specify all storage parameters upfront.